North Atlanta Aging-in-Place Readiness Report

The report finds that most homes across the Gwinnett-Forsyth corridor are not aging-ready under Census and Harvard accessibility benchmarks, while the senior population is projected to grow substantially. It frames aging-in-place renovation as both a safety planning issue and a design opportunity, especially in kitchens and bathrooms where flooring, lighting, accessibility, and smart-home integration can affect long-term livability.

• An estimated 402,867 homes across Gwinnett and Forsyth County do not meet the Census Bureau's full aging-ready definition.
• Approximately 226,141 homes across the two-county corridor were built before 2000, before universal design principles became common in residential construction.
• Georgia recorded 61,573 emergency room visits and 779 deaths from fall-related injuries among adults 65 and older in 2022.
• Gwinnett County's senior population is projected to grow substantially by 2040, with seniors projected to represent about 21% of the county population.
• A review of public CAPS directories identified few named CAPS professionals in Georgia and no listed CAPS professionals in the Roswell, Alpharetta, Forsyth County, or Gwinnett County corridor.

Study ID

ASBRC-2026-007

Research Partner

Simone Feldman Designs

Geography

Gwinnett and Forsyth County, Georgia

Industry

Kitchen, bath, and aging-in-place design

Research Area

Housing & Aging-in-Place

Primary Data Sources

U.S. Census Bureau ACS 1-Year Estimates 2024, Table B25034, U.S. Census Bureau aging-ready home benchmark from the American Housing Survey, Atlanta Regional Commission and Gwinnett County senior population projections, AARP 2024 Home and Community Preferences Survey, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies accessibility research, Emory University Injury Prevention Research Center and Georgia DPH OASIS fall data, Seniorly 2025 aging-in-place state ranking, NAHB CAPS Professional Directory and related public CAPS directories, Simone Feldman Designs expert commentary

Publication Date

June 2026

Status

Published

This report combines Census housing data, regional senior population projections, fall injury data, aging-in-place research, and expert commentary from Simone Feldman Designs to examine aging-in-place readiness across Gwinnett and Forsyth County.

North Atlanta homeowners who plan to remain in their homes should evaluate aging-in-place readiness before a crisis point. The report suggests that flooring, lighting, bathroom access, kitchen function, and smart-home features can be considered within ordinary high-quality renovation planning rather than treated as institutional accessibility add-ons.

The report uses ACS 2024 housing-unit and housing-age data for Gwinnett and Forsyth County, Census and Harvard accessibility benchmarks for aging-ready homes, regional senior population projections, AARP preference data, Emory and Georgia DPH fall injury data, cost benchmarks for home modification and care alternatives, public CAPS directory review, and structured expert commentary from Simone Feldman, CKD, CBD, CAPS.

Several figures are estimates produced by applying national or statewide benchmarks to local housing and senior population data. Aging-ready status cannot be determined for an individual home without a property-specific assessment. Fall, cost, and return-on-prevention figures should be treated as planning context, not guaranteed outcomes. This report is informational and does not constitute medical, legal, financial, construction, engineering, or property-specific advice.

• U.S. Census Bureau ACS 1-Year Estimates 2024, Table B25034
• U.S. Census Bureau aging-ready home benchmark from the American Housing Survey
• Atlanta Regional Commission and Gwinnett County senior population projections
• AARP 2024 Home and Community Preferences Survey
• Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies accessibility research
• Emory University Injury Prevention Research Center and Georgia DPH OASIS fall data
• Seniorly 2025 aging-in-place state ranking
• NAHB CAPS Professional Directory and related public CAPS directories
• Simone Feldman Designs expert commentary

Simone Feldman, CKD, CBD, CAPS, provided expert context on aging-in-place design, kitchen and bath renovation, flooring, lighting, smart-home integration, and the difference between institutional accessibility and design-forward long-term livability.

• Full Report PDF: Full report PDFAvailable
• Executive Summary: Executive summaryComing Soon
• Methodology: Methodology notesComing Soon
• Citation: American Small Business Research Center. North Atlanta Aging-in-Place Readiness Report. ASBRC-2026-007. June 2026.Available
• Press Release: Press releaseAvailable
• Charts: ChartsComing Soon
• Media Kit: Media kitComing Soon

American Small Business Research Center. North Atlanta Aging-in-Place Readiness Report. ASBRC-2026-007. June 2026.

• The Gwinnett County Water Damage Report
• The North Atlanta Cardiac Arrest Gap

Simone Feldman Designs. Research partners may provide topic context, access to subject matter expertise, or financial support for the research process. The American Small Business Research Center maintains editorial independence. Research partners do not determine findings, methodology, conclusions, or publication decisions.